Europe’s Crisis, China’s Opportunity

While Europeans see their relationship with China as one of equals, Beijing is establishing with Europe the type of relationship it has rolled out in Africa – combining infrastructure projects, soft loans and a massive increase in investment. The change has come amazingly fast. Europe is still phasing out its development assistance to China at a time when Beijing is using its growing economic strength to buy up strategic assets across Europe.

Join Jonas Parello-Plesner and Alice Richard as they discuss the extent and nature of China’s game-changing presence in Europe, arguing that Europeans should neither spurn, nor lament, China’s eagerness to spend its money on the Continent. Instead, they should get a better deal by working – united – through the EU.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:Jonas Parello-Plesner is a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He previously served as Denmark’s Senior Advisor on China and North East Asia from 2005-2009.

Alice Richard is the coordinator of the China programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations; she previously worked for various international institutions and NGOs in Beijing, Brussels, Paris and the Democratic Republic of Congo.